Events
October 2024
Procurement in Defence & Security and LRDSC Networking Event
Hosted by BT
Date: Thursday, 31st October, 2024
Location: BT London HQ, One Braham Street, London, E1 8EE
Time: 1330 Registration, 1400 Start
We invite you to attend our second London Regional Defence and Security Cluster event which has a focus on how Procurement in the Defence and Security sectors work. Our speakers will outline the processes and key contacts to expedite selling to UK government, so that businesses, universities and other organisations can better commercialise their solutions and technologies swiftly into the Defence and Security sectors.
Speakers
Catherine Proudlove is the SME Lead for Defence Commercial in the Ministry of Defence. Catherine will give an overview of the most productive routes for industry and academia to engage with and sell into UK defence and Security.
James Gavin is the Head of MOD Defence Equipment & Support’s Future Capability Innovation team. He has served in the military, has worked in wider government and industry before joining DE&S 4 years ago. James will explain how his team accelerates capability into operations and their recent refocussing on prototype warfare, based on lessons from Ukraine.
Dina Kakaras is the Head of Commercial X. Dina will explain how Commercial X drive end-to-end, fast-paced acquisition of innovative military capability and break down barriers for SMEs and wider industry looking to work with the Ministry of Defence.
Event Programme:
1330 – Arrive, registration and refreshments
1400 – Welcome from Jon Cole BT Director of Defence, and Introduction to speakers
1420 Defence Commercial in the Ministry of Defence, Catherine Proudlove (online) followed by Q&A
1445 MOD Defence Equipment & Support’s Future Capability Innovation, James Gavin
1510 Commercial X, Dina Kakaras
1530 Panel Q&A
1600 Networking & Optional tour of the BT One Braham innovation facility
1700 End
Click here to register for event (subject to availability).
February 2025
London Regional Defence and Security Cluster Launch Event
Date, Location, Time: Date: Monday 10th February 2025, Time: 12:00-17:00
Location: Plexal, Here East, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Plexal, London E15 2GW
Event Type: Information and Networking
The new London Regional Defence and Security Cluster is a collaboration led by industry and academia with the support of Government and its ministerial departments, such as the MoD and its innovation directorate, the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA). After a number of successful introductory events in 2024 the new London Regional Defence and Security Cluster is officially launched on 10th February 2025. The launch event will be an opportunity to learn about the latest changes in the defence and security landscape, as well as innovation needs and upcoming DASA opportunities. The event will help shape the cluster, connect attendees with other likeminded organisations, and hear from industry and policy leaders. The event will include contributions from keynote speakers, large organisations, SMEs, and academia. A networking lunch on arrival is also included. The launch of this cluster comes at a pivotal time for defence and security in the UK with a host of emerging strategies, renewed urgency and changing priorities. The importance of the digital domain, robust cyber security, and new defence technical capabilities are crucial to safeguard the security of the UK and our allies. The London cluster will help drive investment, increase collaboration potential, provide access to world class innovation from our university network, boost productivity, and contribute to the security of the UK and the prosperity of London.
Event Programme:
12:00 PM: Arrive, lunch and networking
1:00 PM: Welcome & keynote speakers (DASA, Front Line Commands, MoD, Academia)
2:15 PM: Panel Q&A
2:45 PM: Networking Break
3:15 PM: Themed networking breakout sessions
4:00 PM: Networking break
4:20 PM: Final panel Q&A
4:40 PM – 5:00 PM: Closing comments and depart
April 2025
Open Problems in AI for Defence and Securit
Date, Location, Time: Monday 28 April, Imperial College
Event Type: Information and Networking
The London Regional Defence and Security Cluster (London RDSC) invites you to join us for a half-day event on “Open Problems in AI for Defence and Security”. The event will take place at the South Kensington campus of Imperial College London, and aims to provide an opportunity to connect public sector stakeholders, industry and universities with expertise and interests in the broad area of artificial intelligence, data and applications in defence and security. The event will feature presentations from a number of stakeholders on their interests relating to AI, and will offer an opportunity for attendees to explore some pressing problems to stimulate discussion and networking.
May 2025
Prime focus: Engaging with large and big defense companies
Date, Location, Time: Tuesday 27 May, Roehampton University
Event Type: Face to Face Event and Networking
The London Regional Defence and Security Cluster (London RDSC) invites you to join us for a half-day event about how to effectively engage with leading defense and security companies by offering valuable insights into their operational structures, key priorities, and industry best practices.
June 25
Interdisciplinary Perspectives in Defence and Security
Date, Location, Time: Monday 30 June, Kingston University London, Time: 12:00-17:00
Event Type: Face to Face Event and Networking
Registration site: Here
The event aims to bring together practitioners from universities, SMEs and large organisations in diverse fields, including engineering, chemistry, health and social sciences, arts, humanities and business, to foster an interdisciplinary collaborative environment where innovative ideas of relevance to defence and security can flourish. Amongst other topics you will be able to learn more about:
· Human centred design in mission critical contexts.
· Tracking down evidence for defence, using chemistry, mathematics, and computer science
· Reading Force: Keeping Forces families close & connected through sharing stories
· Using multidisciplinary knowledge to make small, light, and cheap deployable antennas
· Computer vision
Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with thought-provoking presentations, connect with experts from across different disciplines, and meet attendees from organisations with defence and security interests across London.
If attendees wish to showcase examples of their organisations activities, there will be an opportunity to do so on arrival and in the speed-networking session – please indicate this at registration by ticking the exhibition option.
Location:
This event will be held at Kingston University’s Penrhyn Road campus, within its multi award-winning Town House building. The address is
Kingston University, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, KT1 3EE.
The campus is well connected by public transport including trains (from Waterloo and Kingston stations) and buses. Directions and travel advice can be found at the following link. https://www.kingston.ac.uk/experience/our-campuses/penrhyn-road
Event Programme:
12:00 PM: Arrive, lunch, networking & exhibition opportunity
1:00 PM: Welcome from LRDSC & Kingston University
1:20 PM: Short lightning presentations followed by Q&A
2:45 PM: Comfort break
3.00 PM: Guided interdisciplinary speed-networking session & exhibition
4.00 PM: Panel discussion and Q&A
4:45 PM Closing comments
5:00 PM: Depart
The following is the upcoming event
September 2025
Integrating safety and security: research, innovation & open problems
The London Regional Defence and Security Cluster (LRDSC) and the Security Institute (PROSSIG) cordially invite you to a half-day event: “Integrating safety and security: research, innovation & open problems”.
Date: Wednesday 3rd September 2025
Location: University of Greenwich, London
Time: 12:00-16:30, followed by a drink reception.
Event Type: Face-to-face event and networking
Registration Link: Here
The aim of the event is to bring together safety and security practitioners from industry, government and academia to share practical knowledge, research and innovation across different domains, and to discuss emerging challenges. There will be talks from thought leaders across sectors, and opportunities to meet, network and collaborate on open problems.
Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the latest thinking across safety and security disciplines from experts including Sarah Austerberry and Paul Martin, bodies such as the Security Institute and the UK Crowd Management Association, and leading practitioners and researchers in the UK.
There will be two thematic streams [speakers to be announced in August 2025]:
Stream 1: Safety and security research in action
Including:
- Safety at sea: new research into safe evacuation of naval vessels.
- Sociotechnical design for responsible AI: a security case study.
- Simulation capabilities for safety and security in critical infrastructure.
Stream 2: Counter terrorism and crowd safety
Including:
- Reducing the impact of Hostile Vehicle Mitigation on crowds.
- Integrating safety and security in crowded places, and implications of Protect Duty.
- Human behaviour in terrorist attacks; implications for security control rooms.
There will be some opportunities for attendees to showcase examples of their organisation’s activities in the short lightning presentation session. If you are interested in giving a five-minute presentation as part of this session, please indicate this at registration by ticking the Lighting Presentation.
Location:
The event will be held at the University of Greenwich, Greenwich Campus, Stockwell Street Building, 10 Stockwell St, London SE10 9BD.
Our Greenwich Campus sits on a World Heritage Site surrounded by historical landmarks, including the Cutty Sark, the National Maritime Museum, and beautiful Greenwich Park with the Royal Observatory sitting atop the hill.
The campus is well connected by public transport including bus, National Rail, DLR and Thames Clipper. Directions and travel advice can be found at the following link: Getting to Greenwich Campus | About the university | University of Greenwich
Event Programme:
12:00 Arrival, lunch and networking
13:00 Welcome from LRDSC and opening keynote [Sarah Austerberry]
13:30 Thematic streams [presentations and panels]
14:40 Refreshment break and networking
15:10 Short lightning presentations and Q&A
16:00 Closing keynote [Paul Martin] and closing remarks
16:30 Drinks reception
17:45 Depart